As Internet access becomes nearly ubiquitous in the developed world, users find themselves increasingly online. Whereas in times past, a user had to sit down at a desktop computer and deliberately dial-up to a slow, modem-based Internet service, get his online work done quickly, and then immediately log off to free up the phone line, a modern user may be always connected to a plurality of devices. The user may carry a smart phone, which may include a GPS, a wireless data plan, and Wi-Fi capabilities, ensuring that the user is rarely disconnected from one data service or another. The user may also carry a laptop with Wi-Fi enabled or with a mobile data service, and the Wi-Fi may be configured to automatically connect or attempt to connect to open Wi-Fi networks. Thus, connecting to the Internet is no longer a deliberate and temporary act, but rather a natural and automatic part of interacting with modern society.
As the number of Internet users, connected devices, and available connection methods have proliferated, so too has the value of “big data” increased. Networks of tracking cookies and data aggregators create a complex, deeply interconnected web of trails, so that practically everything a user does online in one place can be correlated to practically everything else he does online in any other place. Indeed, in some cases, a user may be required to sign up with personally-identifying information, or provide a Google or Facebook account, for example, to gain access to a desired service.
These metrics may be of especial value to advertisers and merchants, who want to spend their advertising dollars targeting the most relevant users. In some cases, targeted advertisements may be much more likely to produce an actual sale than mass advertisements targeted almost indiscriminately at a general audience.
Data metrics may also be useful to end users, who may receive more relevant and interesting content. Thus, in some cases, users willingly provide metrics in hopes of having a better online experience.